The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
The Sun at the End of the Road
=Chicago artist/author Tony Fitzpatrick created two final posters before he passed away, and they are both now available at Eckhartz Press.
=The Sun at the End of the Road — 12 x 18 Release Poster
This 12 x 18 limited-edition poster marks the release of Tony Fitzpatrick’s book, The Sun at the End of the Road: Dispatches from an American Life—a final chapter from an artist whose voice, vision, and attitude are woven into the bones of Chicago.
Commemorating Tony Fitzpatrick’s Final Exhibition
Honor a landmark moment in Chicago’s art history with this 12 x 18 limited-edition poster celebrating Songbirds and Crucifixions—Tony Fitzpatrick’s final public exhibition.
=If you read this early enough this morning (Monday) you'll still have a chance to catch Eckhartz Press author Bob Conlon on TV. He's appearing on WFLD-TV (Channel 32 in Chicago) at 10:20am to talk about his novel, Celtic Knot. Publisher Rick Kaempfer is tagging along, so we should have some photos for next week's Publishing Portal.
=Jeff Reiter has been hustling, promoting his book The Best of Words on Birds. This description of Jeff and his book appeared on the Birding Wire...
Jeff Reiter is very good at explaining things, especially the different ways to enjoy birding, while regularly pointing out how every birder has their own way of getting the most out of our bird-oriented activities. And he tells a lot of enjoyable stories that reflect his own brand of birding, as well as others’ preferences. Although he has not embraced bird photography yet, Reiter does share a beautiful collection of more than 50 color photographs selected from other birders’ files that are presented in a central section of Words on Birds.
=Here's a great example of a beautiful bird picture from the book...(Baltimore Oriole by Linda Peterson)
=Jeff also got a shout-out in this week's Daily Herald from Opinion Editor (and fellow Eckhartz Press author) Jim Slusher in his annual Thanksgiving column...
=Speaking of Jim Slusher, his book was named a finalist for Book of the Year by the Chicago Writers Association. The announcement will be coming soon if he is the winner or not. (He's a winner either way as far as we're concerned). Jim Slusher's book is filled with some of the great columns he has written over his 25 years at the Daily Herald. One of them was in the newspaper on this day in 2001. It was his tribute to the recently deceased Beatles great George Harrison. Worth the price of admission.
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=This week is the beginning of Nick Digilio's big publicity push for 40 Years, 40 Films. He did an interview with the podcast Christmas Movies Actually (listen here), an interview with Axios (coming this week), and an interview/photo session with the Tribune (coming this week). More press coming next week with The Car Stuff podcast, WGN-TV, and Kelly Leonard's Second City podcast.
=Two big chances are coming next week for you to meet Nick Digilio. We hope you have these on your calendar. Next Wednesday (12/10), Nick is hosting a screening of Batman Returns at Lake Theater in Oak Park. He will also be selling and signing his book 40 Years, 40 Films.
=Next Friday (12/12) is the big official Book Release party for the book at Kaiser Tiger (1415 W. Randolph) in Chicago. Not only will Nick be signing and selling his book, this restaurant is known for their bacon, brats, and beer. What more can you ask for? For more information about that event, click here.
=William C. Turck interviewed Gloria Golec this week. Good interview...
=The characters that weave in and out of the lives of Mob Adjacent authors Jeffrey and Michael Gentile include some of the most notorious mobsters in Chicago history. One of them, Joey Doves Aiuppa, was born this week (December 1) in 1907. At one time he was the leader of the Chicago Outfit.
=The one year anniversary of The Flip Side book was this past weekend. If you follow Flip Side Freaks on facebook, they have been posting some incredible photos from the book (and a few that didn't make it into the final version of the book.) Here is an example, Ted Nugent at the Super Bowl of Rock...
=This week last year Dan McNeil had his book launch party in Griffith Indiana. Dan’s launch party was a huge hit. Thanks to everyone who came out. It was a great afternoon.
=Eric Litt joined the John Landecker show on WGN Radio for a fun chat about his book Worth a Second Look. You can listen to it here.
=The new issue of Illinois Entertainer has a piece about the Loop exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Read it here.
=Happy birthday to one of the big stars of The Loop Files, Garry Meier. Garry was with the Loop during both of the Loop heydays (late 70s, late 80s) and was very cooperative with the book project. (Photo: L-R, Garry, Dave Logan, Steve Dahl)
=Also this week in 2023 (December 5), this great review of the book was posted by Paul McVay...
=St. Nicholas day (December 6) reminds us that the holiday season is approaching, and at Eckhartz Press our signature holiday book is Donald G. Evans book An Off-White Christmas. Pick up your copy today.
=This week in 2018 (December 1), Don and his illustrator Hannah made an appearance at Oak Park Library. The following night (December 2), the book was performed live on stage. It was an incredible thing to see...
=This week in 2018 (December 1) was the 60th anniversary of the Lady of our Angels school fire. Alex Burkholder made the rounds that day, talking about his book, which was about that tragic fire. Here is a Q&A with Alex. He also appeared at a firehouse, selling and signing the book, and leading a discussion about that day. A few of the photos are below. Alex passed away in 2024.
=This week in 2018 (December 1), we also held a launch party in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago for The Scar Dance by William Mansfield. The book was later named a finalist for CWA Book of the Year.
=This week in 2012 (December 3), the book A Reluctant Immigrant was released. Author Felitzitas Sudendorf combined the story of her immigration to America with a cookbook featuring recipes from her native land. It was the only book released under our imprint Helgard Press. A totally unique book that sold quite well in the German community of Chicago. Unfortunately, Sudendorf passed away less than a year later.
=Ten years ago this week in 2015 (December 1), the Eckhartz Press book Grun Weiss Vor! was released. The book chronicles the history of one of Chicago's historic soccer clubs, Green White, on the eve of their 60th anniversary. Authors Rick Kaempfer and Todd Schneider were on hand to sign and sell copies of the book.
=Need a good traveling book this holiday season? Take a cue from this post on Facebook around this time last year...
Roger Badesch wrote my very most favorite traveling book: easy to read in short sections (for when I inevitably fall asleep on the plane or when the lines are longer than expected) and fun to tell other people about when they ask what I'm reading! So far it's kept me company this week in Baltimore and Boston, and we're headed to NM tomorrow. 🤗 If you don't have it yet, strong recommend!
=Two of the sports stars featured in Randy Merkin's book Behind the Glass are celebrating birthdays this week. The great receiver Terrell Owens (December 7) gets his own chapter in the book, as does one of the rare Chicago Cubs who played ten seasons for the North Siders, the last man standing from the World Series Cubs, Kyle Hendricks (December 7).
=This week in 2022 (December 7), Chuck Swirsky had a book signing at the United Center before a Bulls game. The Bulls announcer did the pre-game show, then zipped into the gift shop to sign and sell books, then zipped back upstairs to broadcast the game.
=This week in 2022 (December 1), Andy Masur also reviewed the book for Barrett Sports Media.
=For those of you who have a copy of one of the editions of EveryCubEver (there are currently seven of them), here are a few Cubs to check out this week. All were born this week in history: Big Ed Reulbach (December 1), Andre Rogers (December 2), Cozy Dolan (December 3), Lee Smith (December 4), PK Wrigley (December 5), and Stan Hack (December 6). Great stories about all of them are found in EveryCubEver.
=Plus this photo. Those are Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins and Lee Smith high-fiving over the head of author Rick Kaempfer's son Sean.
=Do we even need to point out what a perfect holiday gift this book is for the Cubs fan in your family?
Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind
=Vicki Quade's book about her encounters with the every day people of Chicago is split into sections. One of those sections is about her encounters in her car. Seems like a good week to point that out, as the first assembly line for the Model T car was unveiled this week (December 1) in 1913.
=We never thought this book would make a comeback, but here we are. Melania impersonator Lauren LoGiudice wrote all about her experiences traveling around the country doing her comedy show. Other comedians took notice, and one of them, Ritch Shydner, is celebrating a birthday this week (December 3). Here's what he said about Lauren's book...
“When I first spotted the cover of “Inside Melania,” I couldn’t think of anyone I was less interested in learning more about than that soulless gold-digger. Then I opened the book and couldn’t put it down. Lauren masterfully used satire, parody and irony to process the Slovenian Ice Queen through every comedic literary device in the English language, from fairy tales to dirty nursery rhymes to rap. Lauren’s book returned me to the essential power and joy of good comedy, and showed me there were a lot of laughs inside a soulless gold-digger.”
=We still remember the day that Chet Coppock called us because he was so excited about the latest endorsement he received for his book. Skip Bayless is celebrating a birthday this week (December 4), but Chet was celebrating when Skip delivered this blurb for the book...
I bought a copy of your book and I read it…and it’s sensational. Great stories and off-camera, off-mike insights. You truly are a legend.
You may have trusted him for years as he brought you the news. You may have been entertained when you heard him yodel. You may have thrilled to his Renaissance man exploits as world traveler, pilot, actor, and lawyer. Read this book to find out why he became all those things…and why Joel Daly is my Dad.
Joe Jackson vs. The Chicago American League Ballclub
=This week in 1951 (December 5), the legendary Shoeless Joe Jackson died. 27 years before his death Jackson sat in a courtroom in Milwaukee as he tried to clear his name from the Black Sox scandal. Last year, a hundred years after the trial, Dr. David Fletcher and Jason Pomrenke got their hands on the trial transcript. We were happy to publish this historical document at Eckhartz Press. It's the only published account of the trial.
=A few rock stars that have birthdays this week are also featured in Bobby Skafish's great rock and roll interview book We Have Company. Tom Waits (December 7) and REM guitarist Peter Buck (December 6) both get their own chapters in Bobby's book. That's Buck on the left, Skafish in the middle, and REM's Mike Mills on the right.
=This week in 2013 (December 6), Chuck Quinzio was on the air at WCPT (AM 820) with his former colleague, Dick Kay.
=This week in 2016 (December 6), Cameo author Beth Jacobellis tried out for WGN Radio's Christmas Carol. It's been captured on film...
=For some reason, 2017 was the Year of the Truffle. This week in 2017 (December 6), we went to our very own truffle expert, author of the foodie novel Truffle Hunt, Brent Petersen, to get an explanation of why. You can read his treatise on the Truffle year of 2017 here.
=This week in 2012 (December 7), Living Wills co-author Rick Kaempfer was asked to participate in an interview called The Next Big Thing. Among the things you'll learn in this interview is the inspiration for the book, who would/could play the parts of the main characters, and more. You can read it here. (Photo: Living Wills co-authors Rick and Brendan)
=This week in 1970 (December 1), Chicago Magazine became a full-size magazine. In 2002, they named City U author Bob Boone as Chicagoan of the Year.
=This week in 1893 (December 7), Virginia Kirkus was born. She became the founder of Kirkus Reviews, which is a highly respected reviewer. Kirkus has reviewed about a dozen of our books.
=This is what they said about Mark Wukas' The Kiss of Night...
Mark Wukas succeeds in creating sympathetic characters that have exceptional depth. … The detailed descriptions of Chicago give the work a feeling of verisimilitude and paint a vivid picture of the city. … The relationships between the characters remain dynamic, and the story’s mystery elements are well executed throughout. An often-thrilling crime novel that explores questions of loyalty, justice, and morality.
=This is what they said about Kim Strickland's Down at the Golden Coin...
A lesson in faith and the power of positive thinking, all nestled within a satisfying story.
=And this is what they said about Bob Boone's City U...
Boone’s economical use of dialogue serves a dual purpose, as characters reveal questionable attitudes in a small amount of space or, more often, withhold uncomfortable truths from themselves and others. These layered, often humorous classroom insights are buoyed by the author’s lean, clear writing style.
